2 saved, 1 dead, 1 missing in Ugashik capsizing

The Alaska State Troopers posted this at 11 this morning:

Location: Pilot Point
Type: Search and rescue
On 6/22/14 at 0855 hours, Alaska State Troopers, Alaska Wildlife Troopers Helo-3 and a helicopter from U.S. Coast Guard Kodiak responded to the Ugashik River near Pilot Point for a report of an overturned skiff with four occupants in the water. Preliminary investigation revealed four commercial fishermen were operating a skiff while fishing on the Ugashik River when the skiff capsized, throwing all four into the water. Winds in the area were estimated at 25 mph with stronger gusts; waves were estimated at 4 feet at the time the skiff overturned. Earnest Pierce, 47, of Nine Mile Falls, Wash., and Brandon Michael Park, 24, of West Richland, Wash., were able to climb on top of the overturned skiff until rescued by other fishing boats. An adult male and a 17-year-old juvenile attempted to swim to shore. The older male was later located in the water and was unresponsive. Efforts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful. Efforts by rescuers on scene to locate the missing juvenile were unsuccessful. None of the occupants of the skiff were wearing personal flotation devices at the time of the incident. AST is in the process of locating next of kin. Coast Guard search efforts have been suspended pending further information. Efforts by AST and AWT are continuing.

Searchers hunt for lost fisherman at Platinum

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Platinum, Southwest Alaska
Type: Search and rescue
On 7/4/11 at about 0915 hours, Alaska State Troopers in Bethel were notified that Gilbert Kilbuck, 37, of Platinum, was missing from a boating accident. Kilbuck was reported to have headed out commercial fishing on a 24-foot skiff just off of South Spit in Platinum. Kilbuck's boat was reported to have struck a wave where he was thrown from the boat. Alaska State Troopers launched an aircraft to help with the search, which also involved assets from the U.S. Coast Guard. Local village residents today are searching the area via boat. Alcohol does not appear to be a contributing factor. Kilbuck was reported to have not been wearing a life jacket at the time.

More on the Yakutat tragedy

Deckboss asked the Alaska State Troopers whether the three salmon fishermen involved in the Dangerous River capsizing that left two dead Monday were wearing life preservers.

Here's the reply from AST spokeswoman Megan Peters:

Two of the three had PFDs (personal flotation devices). After the boat was swamped and capsized, they were able to crawl up on the vessel and sit out of the water. They were there for about four hours. They were pretty cold and shivering. After sitting for so long, the two with PFDs decided to make a swim for the shore since it was 'so close' (maybe a few hundred yards). As they swam, hypothermia likely set in very quickly. They drowned while attempting to get to shore. The one without the PFD stayed with the boat. A plane spotted him sometime after. A helo was sent out, but the man was too exhausted to pull himself up into the helo or onto the skids. It was a small two-seater without floats so it couldn't land. Skiffs from a nearby community set out and collected him. The bodies of the two deceased were spotted by a fixed-wing flying overhead. They had washed up on the shoreline by then. One a half mile away, the other about two miles away.

2 die, 1 survives after skiff capsizes in commercial fishing accident on Dangerous River at Yakutat

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Dangerous River near Yakutat
Type: Boating accident, two fatalities
On 6/20/11 at 1730 hours the Alaska Wildlife Troopers in Yakutat responded to a report of an overturned boat at the mouth of Dangerous River in Yakutat. Jonathan Pavlik, 30, Wayne Gray, 29, and Rex Newlun, 18, all of Yakutat, were commercial fishing on the river when their skiff started filling with water and overturned. Gray and Newlun drowned in the water and Pavlik was able to climb on top of the skiff. A passing aircraft spotted Pavlik on top of the skiff later in the afternoon. Pavlik was recovered by local residents who took a boat out to retrieve him. Gray and Newlun were located and brought to the Yakutat clinic where they were pronounced deceased. Next of kin has been notified.